Hawaiian Songwriting Retreat August 2-4, 2013

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is offering a three-day Hawaiian music songwriting retreat for just $25, from Friday, Aug. 2 through Sunday, Aug. 4 with Hawaiian music, language and haku mele (Hawaiian song) experts Kenneth Makuakāne and Kaliko Trapp-Beamer.

Kenneth Makuakane

The Friday, Aug. 2 workshop runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 3 and Sun., Aug. 4 both begin at 8 a.m. and finish at 4 p.m.

Advance registration required. To register, contact Elizabeth Bell at (808) 985-6019 or email Elizabeth_bell@nps.gov no later than July 25.

The retreat will be held in the park at the summit of Kīlauea. Budding songwriters will find inspiration in this wahi kapu (sacred place), among the towering koa and ‘ōhi‘a lehua trees, over fields of ropy pāhoehoe lava, and in the awe-inspiring eruptive glow from Halema‘uma‘u Crater.

Also inspirational are the retreat’s accomplished teachers. Kenneth Makuakāne is a multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano award winner, along with his group, The Pandanus Club. He’s a prolific songwriter (1,500-plus songs), producer of more than 100 albums, and collaborator who has worked with virtually all of the stars of Hawaiian music over the years.

Kaliko was raised as the hānai son of Hawaiian cultural expert Aunty Nona Beamer (1923-2008), learning Hawaiian chant, storytelling, traditional protocol, family songs, and stories. He currently teaches Hawaiian language courses at the University of Hawai‘i in Hilo, and helps coordinate the Beamer Family Aloha Music Camp. He is the President of the Mohala Hou Foundation dedicated to “preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture through education and the arts.”

The three-day Hawaiian songwriting retreat is sponsored by Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association.

 

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s 31st Annual Cultural Festival Coming Up

Media Release:

The 31st annual Cultural Festival will happen Sat., July 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit, in the Ka‘ū District. The event is free and is a wonderful way to celebrate Hawaiian culture with top Hawaiian entertainment, hands-on cultural demonstrations, local food, crafts and much more.

Ohe Hano Ihu demo

The Kahuku unit is located south of the main entrance to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka side of Hwy. 11, between mile markers 70 and 71. There is no admission fee at Kahuku or the main park on July 9, in honor of this popular annual festival.

“Join us at Kahuku, a dynamic, young volcanic landscape, steeped in history and a rainbow of land and life. This festival is our gift to the local communities that support Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and its programs, and to our visitors, so we can share the culture and aloha of our island and this special place,” said Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando.

The festival’s theme, He ali‘i ka ‘āina. He kauwā ke kanaka (The land is the chief. Man is its servant) is visualized in artist Dietrich Varez’s rendering of the ‘ua‘u, the endemic Hawaiian petrel.

This year’s theme, He ali‘i ka ‘āina. He kauwā ke kanaka (The land is the chief. Man is its servant) is visualized in artist Dietrich Varez’s rendering of the ‘ua‘u, the endemic Hawaiian petrel. This endangered Hawaiian seabird nests in the subalpine region of Mauna Loa, where Park resource managers monitor their habitat in hopes of increasing the small population within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit.

Varez’s artwork on festival T-shirts this year depicts the ‘ua‘u and its compelling lifecycle, including a lone chick in a pāhoehoe pit nest awaiting its parents’ arrival, a pair of soaring ‘ua‘u, the marine life they feed upon, the pūkiawe shrub (which grows in the area), and an active volcano. T-shirts will be available for sale at the festival.

Kenneth Makuakane demonstrates ukulele basics

Hawaiian entertainment will include hula performances by Hālau Ulumamo o Hilo Palikū and Haunani’s Hula Expressions, and notable Hawaiian musicians Joseph Nahale, Kenneth Makuakāne, falsetto singer Kai Ho‘opi‘i, and Aunty Diana Aki and friends.

Learning to make lauhala bracelets

Learn how Hawaiians lived, played and created, and use those skills today, through numerous cultural demonstrations by skilled Hawaiian practitioners. Lei making (feather and plant), Hawaiian canoe building, ‘ukulele lessons, ulana lauhala (pandanus weaving), nā pā‘ani (Hawaiian games), nā mea mala (native plant gardening), and lā‘au lapa‘au (how to identify and use local medicinal plants), are just a few of the interactive demonstrations participants can learn about.

Wear sunscreen and a hat. Bring water, rain jacket, and ground mat or chair. No pets.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park was established on Aug. 1, 1916 as a public park for the enjoyment of the people. An important purpose of the 333,086-acre park is to perpetuate Hawaiian culture. Since 1980, the park’s annual cultural festival has provided an ideal occasion for young and old, for kama‘āina (native born) and malihini (newcomers), to come together for a fun and exciting day of sharing of traditional customs and values.

Co-sponsored by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Hawai‘i Natural History Association, Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Kīlauea Military Camp.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park June Happenings

Media Release:

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park continues its tradition of sharing Hawaiian culture with the community and visitors throughout June. Most programs are free, but Park entrance fees may apply. Mark your calendars for these upcoming events:

Lā‘au Lapa‘au (“Healing Medicine”). Learn how plants are used as medicine. Ka‘ohu Monfort shares her knowledge of how Hawai‘i’s native plants, including noni, kukui and ōlena, can heal and nourish. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing ‘Ike Hana No‘eau “Experience the Skillful Work” workshops. Free.

When: Fri., June 10 from 10 a.m. to noon
Where: Kīlauea Visitors Center lānai

Kenneth Makuakāne, Singer/Songwriter. Enjoy a free performance by the 12-time Nā Hoku Hanohano award-winning singer, songwriter and producer as he shares original songs from his first solo album, Makuakāne, and his latest albums, The Dash, White Bath Tub and other compilations. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing ‘Ike Hana No‘eau “Experience the Skillful Work” performances.

When: Wed., June 15 from 10 a.m. to noon
Where: Kīlauea Visitors Center lānai

Kenneth Makuakane

Kenneth Makuakāne, Singer/Songwriter. Can’t make Kenneth’s daytime performance June 15? Enjoy a free evening of his island music that same night! The award-winning and prolific singer/songwriter is recognized as an innovator in Hawaiian music and has more than 100 albums to his producing credit. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing Nā Leo Manu “Heavenly Voices” series of cultural programs.

When: Wed., June 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Kīlauea Visitors Center Auditorium

Nā Kapa Pa‘ahana – Design Your Own Kapa Implements. Kapa-making expert Kauhane Heloca shares the art of nā kapa pa‘ahana in this workshop. Materials cost is $300 to make four implements, including kua (wooden anvil) i‘e kuku (square beater), hohoa (round beater), and niho ‘oki (shark tooth knife). Space is limited to 35 students. To reserve a space for the workshop, contact Joni Mae Makuakāne-Jarrell via email at joni_mae_makuakane-jarrell@nps.gov, or call (808) 985-6020 by June 10, 4 p.m. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing ‘Ike Hana No‘eau “Experience the Skillful Work” workshops.

When: Sat., June 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Environmental Education Center
Cost: $300 for materials

An Evening of Hawaiian Music and Hula. Hawaiian entertainer and kumu hula Meleana Ulrich-Manuel and her hula hālau, Ke ‘Olu Makani o Mauna Loa, will perform song and dance this special evening. The hālau has participated in countless competitions, festivals and events throughout Hawai‘i, the mainland and Japan. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing Nā Leo Manu “Heavenly Voices” series of cultural programs.

When: Fri., June 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. (auditorium opens at 6:15 p.m.)
Where: Kīlauea Visitors Center Auditorium